A Cycle Shattered
by DivinePrince0
Summary: The cycle of Hyrule's rise and fall began long before it truly even existed. In an instant, the fates of the Chosen Three are twisted by the very Goddesses that created the world. In this age, truths are revealed, and choices will be made that reshape the future of every being. Set in a version of the Child Era where the Shadow Era never occurs after TP.
1. Prologue

A Cycle Shattered: Prologue

Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my first fanfiction that I'm going to post online for people to read. It's going to focus primarily on Ganondorf's and Link's perspectives, with the occasional Zelda/Midna. The events of this story take place in the Child Era after Twilight Princess (refer to the official timeline), in my version where the Shadow Era (and the Four Swords + Hyrule Adventures) never occurs. It will turn into a Ganlink romance, but not for a while. Please Please Please, if you read any of it, review! It's very much appreciated. Also I know this first bit is short, I just wanted to get the prologue and this bit of preface out and posted. ANYWAYS. Hope you enjoy!

-Divine Prince

Destiny. Fate. Divine hands have guided the path Hyrule walked since the primordial age. The very ground of the kingdom and its neighbors is steeped with the sacred energies of higher beings.

At some point, this path became a repeating saga, spoken of in legend as the Cycle. Two of the Golden Goddesses, discontent with observing, twisted the fates of every soul in Hyrule in a single moment: the defeat of Demise by Hylia's chosen hero in the Sky Era.

Din, in her desire for power over the realm below, gave true life to the curse of evil and rebirth Demise placed upon the spirit of the hero and the blood of the goddess. Nayru, in her wisdom, hid this interference from the other gods. Farore, in her courage, spoke against her sisters and voiced her misgivings, only to be ignored. And thus, the Cycle was born.

Across ages, the Hatred of Demise waged war against the Hero and the Goddess Descent. Hyrule was destroyed and rebuilt countless times, and Din and Nayru only grew more ruinous in the games they played with the kingdom. It came to be that Farore could no longer allow her sisters their way, and joined in their game.

In this age, to be known as the Era of the Fallen Goddesses, Farore blessed not only the Hero, but Hylia's descendant and the vessel for Demise's curse as well. Each was given eyes to see the machinations of those who were meant to protect, and courage to persevere against the insurmountable odds stacked against them.

The Cycle must be broken. The Goddesses must fall. And so it begins.


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: OMG I am such trash. I cannot believe that I took that long to actually publish this chapter. I've been sitting on it for so long, and just could not finish it. But it's only cause I got supes sidetracked trying to make my Gerudo tribe and Fortress accurate AF in my head, so that when my writing is read, there are no gaps or breaks. So sorry kiddos. But it's here now. Thanks for reading if you do, thanks if you don't. Please review, and send me some thoughts or concerns or whatever. Also, it's unbetaed (is that right?) sooooo…. sorry. Thanks again!

Ganondorf was born into the arid heat of the desert, the unyielding strength of the Gerudo, and the resigned sadness of a culture and people forgotten by time. He was son to a fiery warrior, nephew of a gifted musician, and fiercely beloved by his tribe. Adored by everyone, he was raised with the love and support only the Gerudo, to whom family was and is everything, can give.

At age 7, tragedy struck his tribe. A sandstorm, unlike anything seen in recorded history, raged across the desert. As it bore down upon the hidden fortress that housed the Gerudo, doors were shut, windows barricaded, and animals sheltered. For Ganondorf, safety was discarded and caution eschewed.

His mother and a number of strongest warriors of the tribe had left a day before, in order to roust a ragtag group of ragabond thieves that had taken up residence in nearby caves. They had been consuming at an alarming rate the scarce resources the Gerudo relied upon, and so the council that governed the tribe ordered them removed, or killed.

Ganondorf struggled to flee the confines of his aunt's abode, screaming for his mother in a voice filled with fear and heartbreak. His attempts to break free ceased as the winds and sands roared into the Fortress, as if they had siphoned away his will.

The sandstorm lasted several days, confining the tribe to the homes built into the sheer cliff face that surrounded the Fortress, and the tunnels and caves that had been converted into habitable living spaces for times such as this. At the first sign of the storm's death, a scouting party was sent out to search the caves nearest the Fortress, and cave network that had been the target of the ill-fated warrior party.

They reported back a successful eradication of the vagabonds, but no trace of the warriors that had completed their mission. Upon receiving the news of his mother's death, Ganondorf disappeared deep into the uninhabited caves within the Fortress. It was there, lost within the darkness without a single bright light to guide him or relieve his suffering, that he sensed the dark that boiled just below the surface in himself.

As his despair crescendoed, a foreign rage and blinding hatred broke free from some unseen damn within Ganondorf's mind and seized control. A veritable flood of dark power spilled forth, blasting outward from his body. As the cave walls were battered and beaten by the waves of darkness, Ganondorf likewise battered and beat against presence that had removed him from control of his own body. In Ganondorf's fight to wrest his mind from the clutches of the evil invading him, the despair over the loss of his mother subsided. Subsequently, so did the strength of the foreign presence.

After what seemed like hours, but was truly minutes, the destructive waves of energy ceased. Ganondorf collapsed to the dirt floor, heaving in immense breaths as he struggled to push the evil within back into the cage that had been its prison. As he glanced around, he grew fearful as he took in the state of the cave. Cracks raced up and down the walls, and chunks of the ceiling had begun to fall.

The child bolted from cave as it began to collapse, desperately fleeing the destruction he had caused. He sprinted on until he reached inhabited portion of the network, and kept running until he arrived at his aunt's home. Inside, she paced worriedly, and cried out in shock as Ganondorf burst into the room. He clutched at her, and began to sob. Amidst the frantic questions and assurances that everything would be alright, his despair began to resurface, and with it, Ganondorf could feel the darkness in him waken.

A fear unlike any he had known paralyzed the child, and it seemed as if the foreign presence would wrest Ganondorf's body from him once more. As his strength reached it's limit, time stopped. Ganondorf pulled himself free from his aunt's arms and spun about to witness a golden light fill the room. As the radiant light faded, a woman with verdant green eyes, and short blond hair stepped forward. Ganondorf stared in wonder, for under the gaze of the mysterious lady, even the darkness in him was still.

" _Oh young one. How I wish that I could do more for you."_ Her voice was music to the boy's ears. " _I am limited, but I will gift to you what I can."_ She knelt down, and placed her hands around Ganondorf's. A golden light illuminated her skin. Flowing down her arms and through her hands into Ganondorf, the light began to bind the dark presence in him. In his mind's eye, Ganondorf witnessed it sealed away deep within his spirit.

" _I regret that this is not permanent. He is much too strong for me, I fear."_ A tear falls from her face, as sadness laces her words.

"Who is he?" Ganondorf discovers his voice. "What happens if he comes back?"

" _By that time my sweet young one, you will have grown strong and wise. It will be up to you to handle him then."_ She brings her lips to his head. " _And when that happens, you will no longer be alone. Someone very special will be there, I think."_ With that, she gracefully rises to her feet, and begins to shine from within once more. This time, the light does not stop growing, reaching a blinding luminescence.

"What do I do?! Who are you?!"Ganondorf's cries were met with a laugh that reminded him of the chimes that rang with the wind.

" _Ganondorf, you will know who I am when you need. But know that I am always watching you young one."_ The light vanished, and time resumed.

The heads of the Council, the twin sisters Koume and Kotake, stiffened in awareness of magical energy they had never sensed before. It suffused the young Ganondorf, a repository of power that at its core hid the darkness sheltered in his spirit. A tacit agreement was made between the sisters in that moment. They understood that that power marked a change in their lives, and the future of the world. 

The very next day, Ganondorf was brought before the council, and informed that from then on, he would be required to complete training, both physical and spiritual, until such a time that the council deemed this training completed.

For 22 years, Ganondorf's life was filled with nothing but relentless training, and an ever-present vigilance for any sign of weakening of the chains within him. A loving, sweet, and affectionate child went into that gauntlet. A brilliant, strong, and

resolute Ganondorf came out.

Ganondorf awoke to the sound of violent screams, and equally violent explosions rocking the Fortress. He burst into action, standing up quickly. The obvious danger spurred him to skip his typical ritual of putting on his armor piece by piece. Instead, he expended a minuscule amount of magical energy to dress himself instantly. As always, the disconcerting feeling of having used sorcery to dress gave Ganondorf pause, but in seconds he was moving rapidly out of his rooms.

The hallways outside his room were filled with a thin layer of smoke, and as Ganondorf hastened towards the Fortress proper, the overpowering scent of smoke only grew stronger. His alarm rose higher the closer he was, for the sharp smell of blood had also become heavy in the smoke-clogged air. And underneath both the blood and smoke, the air bore the acrid stench of demonkind.

Seconds later, Ganondorf burst out of the halls into the market at the center of the Fortress, to a sight of destruction he had never personally witnessed. A horde of demons had flooded the Gerudo keep, and despite the best efforts of the warrior-women of the tribe, had set fire to the stalls and stands that formed the large, open-air market and were nearly inside the cave system that formed the hidden extent of the fortress.

A righteous anger rose up inside of him, and along with the battle-rage, Ganondorf summoned forth his magic. A spark transformed into a raging storm inside him, and the pressure from the energy whipped the winds into a frenzy from his place atop the building he resided in.

When the swell of arcane power reached its peak, Ganondorf took a two-step run to the edge of the walkway and leapt. The strength of his jump carried him far over the swarm of demons filling the marketplace, and as he began to plummet, he twisted space to drag his twin broadswords from the ether. Channeling the storm within into the blades, Ganondorf ended his descent by slamming his swords into the sand. Arcs of brilliant azure lightning flashed out in a tempest of destruction, chaining from demon to demon, with the King of the Desert standing unflinching in its eye.

As the lighting died off, the man engaged the remaining enemies in a blur of wrath. Each blade moved with such speed that the naked eye could not see them slice in and out of the demons spared from vaporization. Ganondorf made his way through the marketplace swiftly, assisted by the warriors no longer pressed on all sides. As soon as the marketplace was cleared, he shifted into the main road running straight to the gate, dealing death with every motion. Battle flowed through the Fortress, and Ganondorf rapidly ended each and every fight he joined. The last of the demons were slain in front of the building that housed the Council chambers.

Blood now drenched the sands of the Fortress, and stained the armor of it's king.

As the few magically trained members of the tribe began to douse the fires started by the demons-supplemented by other tribe women carrying buckets of water-Ganondorf motioned for them to cease. With the remaining magic left in him, he snuffed the flames about the Fortress with a wide sweep of his blade. A quick assessment of the immediate area ensured Ganondorf the immediate danger to his kingdom was eliminated, and that his warriors were fanning out to kill any surviving stragglers. His battle-rage gone, and his magic exhausted, Ganondorf collapsed to the ground, overspent and weak with relief.

As his eyes shut, two loud _pops_ alerted him to the arrival of his advisors, and heads of the Council, Koume and Kotake.

"Ganondorf! Are you alright?" Koume shouts in a fervor, the sound of her rushing feet filling Ganondorf's ears as she hurries to his side. "We guarded the children and elderly as laid out in the Fortress' contingency plan, but when we felt your magic fade, we feared…"

"We feared you had fallen, and would not be able to protect the Fortress." Kotake finished for her sister, measured and precise in her delivery. "Clearly, we were overly concerned."

Koume snorts, and places her hand on Ganondorf's armor. "Kotake, it's quite alright to say you were worried for his life. Nobody will judge you for caring, despite what you might think."

"I would thank you to not make presumptions dear sister." Kotake's voice was as frosty as her magic. "I did not mean to imply I was not worried. But even lord Ganondorf is aware that the safety of the Gerudo tribe must come above everything, even our lives." She steps lightly, and kneels next to her sister, placing her hand next to hers. "Is this not the truth my lord?"

The king groans loudly, too spent to listen to the bickering of the twin Council members, despite his love for them both. Noticing their hands on his armor, he magics it away, allowing them direct access to the muscles of his body.

"Koume, Kotake, now is not the time for this. Please. We must make haste to assess damage to the Fortress." Ganondorf's tone brooks no argument, and its firm edge has both sisters square their shoulders and bow their heads in shame.

"Forgive us, my lord." They intone in unison. "You are as wise as you are strong. Now, let us take care of you as you have taken care of the kingdom." With that, Koume's hand glowed with a warm red, while Kotake's shone with an icy blue. "This will be over quickly, and then you can be on to your business."

The energy being released twisted and wrapped itself around Ganondorf's body, soothing and restoring him. This healing magic was a specialty of the Gerudo's Witch Sisters, as they were known outside of the Fortress. It drew away the aches of battle, and replenished the physical and magical energies of it's target. The only drawback was that without both Koume and Kotake, the spell was impossible.

As they promised, the spell made quick work of restoring Ganondorf to a suitable status. He stood hurriedly as the sisters followed his lead, turning to the entrance of the Fortress.

"Come, we go to check on the gate and it's guards. I fear the worst, and I must see for myself the extent of the damage done." No sooner had the order, and the concern that his stern voice struggled to conceal, left his lips Ganondorf was moving. Twin _pops_ rang out, and he set his mouth in a hard line. He warred within himself, restraining each step to keep his purposeful stride from transforming into a panicked sprint. As he approached the gate, the sisters could be seen moving from warrior to warrior, healing what they could. Up close, the damage to the gate was immense. It had been ripped apart, as if by giant hands. Stone and blood filled the courtyard, and a number of bodies had been moved from the rubble to a clearer space.

 _My people have suffered. Whomever committed this atrocity shall face my fury._ Ganondorf's eyes hardened, and he cast his gaze out for any survivors from the perimeter guard detail. It fell upon an older warrior, a seasoned veteran whom had joined the guard under Ganondorf's mother, sitting with her back against what remained of the left side of the gate wall.

"Ashari, are you alright?" The king's voice softened around the question, witnessing the cracking of her composure as he knelt beside her and placed an arm on her shoulder. "Did you see who did this to the gate? I faced no enemy powerful enough to cause destruction of this scale."

Her head fell forward, and her voiced colored with shame. "No my lord Ganondorf, I did not. I was inside the barracks nearby, assisting a trainee. I came as soon as I heard the gate being wrenched apart, but…" Her voice catches in her throat. "But I saw nothing that could do this."

Ganondorf's mouth dropped into a frown, his brow simultaneously wrinkling in thought. "I thank you Ashari, for your commitment and service to the protection of the Gerudo." With that he stood, only to feel her hand clench at his.

"There were so many new trainees in that fight. They're all dead now. I watched them die, like pigs led to slaughter." Her eyes shone with tears she refused to let fall, and Ganondorf nodded sharply, unable to find a reply to a statement filled with such hatred and shame. He slowly pulled his hand from her grasp, and moved away to Koume and Kotake across the way.

"Damage report please." Ganondorf stepped up beside the Council women, and picked up the the warrior they had just finished restoring. "How many injured, how many deceased, extent of damage to the perimeter walls?" As he turned to carry her the short distance to the mats set up along the side of the barracks, Koume began to debrief.

"We have 67 warriors injured, 13 of which are severe and require immediate medical attention. 39 dead, the majority of which were the new batch of trainees. And these totals are likely to rise as damage assessment is completed on the rest of the Fortress proper." Koume struggled to keep the quaver out of her voice, the emotional toll of such death heavy on her. "Kotake has a report on the damage to the gate and the surrounding area."

Kotake took the cue to begin said report. "As visible, damage is extensive. The gate and the structure housing it's mechanisms are completely demolished. They are likely irreparable as is, and must be rebuilt from the ground up." Her grip on her emotions was as solid as ice, and she stood tall with a glint of steel her eyes.

"The cliffs are structurally sound, and the guardhouse and active-duty barracks remain relatively unscathed. Necessary repairs are minimal, and can be postponed until the gate is rebuilt." Kotake nodded sharply as she finished her report. "I will proceed to oversee efforts to care for the wounded with Koume."

Ganondorf made a sound of assent, and Kotake moved back to the injured, Koume following closely behind. Processing the information, he turned about on his heel to face the Fortress proper. The smoke from the fires had begun to leave the air, and the extent of the damage became more and more apparent. No building escaped the onslaught, and repairs would be extensive.

 _I need more information. Reports should be either awaiting me in the Council House, or should be on there way there. Maybe one of them will contain information regarding the mastermind behind this attack._

Ganondorf's thoughts continued to circle the state of his kingdom, and the driving force behind it. Never before had a horde been able to launch a successful assault on the Fortress, not even one of this size. He surmised that something or someone had led the attack, starting with the absolute destruction of the gate.

A loud voice broke through the haze of Ganondorf's rumination, drawing him back to the situation at hand. A woman dressed in a medic's garb crossed the path, coming from the direction of the warrior sect's quarters.

"My lord, I have news you might find important." At Ganondorf's nod, the medic explained.

"Word has been passed along that a strange warrior was spotted within the lands around the Fortress. According to our scouts, he was seen in the vicinity of the demons before the assault, but it was unclear as to whether he was assisting them or was merely a traveler." Unease was evident on her face, and Ganondorf sighed.

"There is no need to be uneasy." He admonished gently. "I am not some god or king to be weary of."

With that, the medic's cheeks flushed, and she bowed her head. "My apologies, but I've never spoken with you before. I was unsure how to act. I will keep your words close." She nodded quickly before attempting to leave.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is a medic delivering a scout's report?" Ganondorf requested.

The medic halted, turning back to the king to answer. "I was just recently promoted to full medic, and seeing as the scouts didn't have nearly as many injured, they asked me to run a quick report to the Council House while the senior medics wrapped up." The medic clapped her hands together, a sudden thought coming to mind. "Oh! I forgot. The scout was insistent that I let you know some defining features of the unknown warrior."

"Well then, I'm waiting."

"Of course sir! They said that it was definitely a he. Blonde hair, blue earrings, and most definitively, a forest green tunic. That's all." Her report finally complete, she spun and jogged back towards the warrior's quarters.

"Green clothing?" Ganondorf lifted his hand to scratch at the back of his neck. "I don't know of any other tribes or races that have warriors that don GREEN tunics." Realizing that he had been musing out loud, he blushed slightly, grateful he was relatively alone.

 _To the Council House. Reports await, and I cannot delay at all. The matter of this mysterious traveler will have to wait until the more pressing matters have been attended to._

Mind made up, Ganondorf strided off toward the Council House.


	3. Chapter 2

I FINALLY finished this chapter. I've been struggling to get myself to write, because work has kinda been kicking my butt, and I got promoted sort of, and so I just haven't done it. I would like to thank my beautiful little angel of a friend personayami from Tumblr for pushing me to bust this out. I really appreciate it. This chapter is from Link's perspective, and so will the next one be probably almost definitely?! But anyways, read and hopefully enjoy. If you do, let me know. If you don't let me know, and tell me why! Please and thank you!

-DivinePrince0

Link collapsed onto the sand of the Gerudo Desert, the exertion of combat combined with the sweltering heat having quickly drained him of his remaining strength. The young warrior had been trailing the demon horde for weeks now as it made its way deeper into the unforgiving waste. After encountering groups of demons congregating at the edges of Hyrule Field, Link had made the rash decision to follow them to their destination, unaware of the consequences.

Unable to defeat a force of the magnitude he discovered had amassed, Link was left with no choice to to stay hidden as they traveled. In the depths of the desert, he struggled to keep his energy high, due to lack of supplies and ever-precious water. His only companion, the fairy Navi, was the sole reason Link had survived this long. She frequently scouted out oases for the warrior to make camp and replenish his water supply at.

Weeks into the journey, Link got his first glimpse at the mysterious figure that seemed to be guiding the demons onward. In the fading light of that day he saw them crest a sand dune alone, the demons momentarily parting around the rise. A pure white cloak that caught the light in a way that created the illusion the light around it was constantly being pulled inward. A deep blue embroidering ran around the edges of the cloak. Twin ribbons in that same shade dropped from a split in the sides, and curled back in to meet the inverted Triforce glaringly visible on the back of the cloak. The hem of cloak itself stopped just above mid thigh. The exposed skin of their legs and arms were a dull gold, similar to jewelry that had been left unpolished to tarnish.

As they began to turn in Link's direction, he threw himself hurriedly behind the rock rising out of the sand near him. He cursed his inability to get a chance to learn the face of the mysterious leader, and his stupidity for getting so close to the horde in the first place. With the light fading rapidly as night fell, Link had little options other than remain here behind the rock and await the dawn, knowing that the horde would soon stop for rest. When that occurred, he would be freed from his current predicament and able to search for another source of water.

"You know, this reminds of this one time that I was stuck trekking, well, flapping, my way through a desert just like this one!" Navi's chiming voice cut through the tension. "The guy I had been traveling with had dragged me all over the kingdom! Lakes, volcanoes, and by the time we had gotten to the desert, I was so tired! But…"

"But what Navi?" Link asked. "From what it sounds like, he wasn't very considerate of your feelings, was he?"

Navi's glow dims, a visible sadness falling over her. "He was very kind, and very brave. Whenever it was too much and I was too afraid, he let me hide inside his cap. And I always tried my best to help him out. He was my very best friend. And… And I had to leave him." At this admission, Navi began to cry. "I had to leave him after our journey was over, and he didn't even know why!"

Link lifted his hand to hold the winged ball of blue light that had been his closest companion since childhood. "Oh Navi. I am so sorry. That must have been awful. Why did you have to leave?" Link suffused his voice with comfort and love, lifting his other hand to cup the fairy close to him.

"Because he didn't need me anymore. And because I had to go to sleep." Her light flickered with her words, telegraphing the emotional turmoil she was experiencing. "A beautiful lady summoned me to the sky, and begged that I go to sleep. That someone in the future would need my help, just like he did."

"Well, maybe that someone was me! I need you too Navi!" Link's voice was quiet, but firm in his conviction. "I didn't have any friends before I met you. And now, you and I have lots of friends!"

Navi's shine stabilized, and she responded in a voice small with adoration and wonder. "You really believe that? That you need me?"

"Of course. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met you that day in the forest." Link's words grew soft with the love and happiness he associated with that memory. "I'd be so lost without you."

A chuckle escaped from the little light, seemingly against her will. "Both of you would have been. So maybe you're right, maybe you are the person the lady meant."

"I think so." The young man smiled. "Hey Navi" He queried.

"Yes Link?"

"I love you." With that, the green-garbed adventurer released the fairy, and twisted until he was lying on the ground, eyes falling shut with the sudden onset of exhaustion brought by the fading light of day.

Navi hovered above Link for a long moment, unable to process the admission from him. After a few seconds, she let herself glide down to the level of the young man. "You look just like him, you know? And you even share the same name."

The fairy's words are met with snores, Link having slipped off to sleep as quick as ever. "And you sleep just like he did too." As she slips into the gap between his head and the green knit cap that covered Link's disheveled blonde hair, she whispers back,

"I love you too."

Link's shift from a quiet sleep to alert awakeness was sharp and sudden. Unaware of what had roused him from his sleep, the warrior slowly placed his feet underneath him, pointed ears overly aware of the sound each grain of sand beneath his boots made. Sapphire eyes cast about in the final darkness before the dawn, assessing the dunes around him for danger.

"Navi, I think it's time to wake up." Link's voice was muted, but the tightness in it belied the tension that coursed through his body and mind.

The little fairy was not easily drawn from her slumber, but at the young man's insistent repetition of her name, she groggily responded. "What is it Link? What's wrong"

"I'm not sure my friend, but I get the feeling we're going to find out." As soon as the words had left his lips, the _twang_ of an arrow being released from a bow cut through silence of the night. Link twisted sharply, that same arrow narrowly missing his shoulder to shatter on the boulder he had slept against.

"Dim lights, Navi. It's time to move."

With no time to deliberate, Link dashed in a direction perpendicular to the path of arrow. _Hopefully this will make it harder for the archer to track my body_. His fairy companion zoomed ahead of him, using her superior night vision to navigate their escape. As they crested the nearest dune, the call of a goblin horn erupted behind him, followed after a few moments by the cries of a group of the disgusting creatures.

"Link, what are we going to do?! We're in open desert, with nowhere to hide!" Navi's frantic chimes lit a flame within the young warrior, her fear awakening a fierce need to protect.

A calm stole over Link, one that silenced the alarm and panic in his head, replacing it with certainty. "We're not going to hide. We're going to fight."

"What do you mean, you can just say that all calm-like!" Navi's cries grew louder with her increasing despair. "We can't win against that many at once, we'll-"

"Quiet Navi!" Sliding to a halt over the crest of the next rise, Link spoke with conviction. "We can, and we will. But I'm going to need your help, alright? I can't do it without you."

The small ball of light flit back and forth, apprehensive of Link's apparent course of action. "What do you need me to do?" Her voice was tiny with fear, but no longer consumed by it, which brought a smile to the verdantly-garbed warrior's face.

"I just need you to do what you do best. Show me where the bad guys are." In the faint light the fairy shone with, Link's eyes were alight with confidence. "Keep your light as low as you can, get as close to the head of an individual goblin, and when I give the signal, I want you to _shine_."

"Just get close, and glow?" The overwhelming fear in Navi's voice was replaced by skepticism. "Is that all?"

Link nodded vigorously, and upon hearing the approach of the goblins, began to stealthily move away from them. "They don't have torches, probably because they were too stupid to assume that an ambush wouldn't work on us. So they can't really see me, and I can't see them." The excitement for the oncoming fight grew steadily within the warrior's voice. "So you'll stack the playing field in my favor. Just trust me on this, okay Navi?"

"Okay. I trust you." After confirming with Link once more her part in his plans, she zipped into the open sky to approach the oncoming group of goblins. The young man himself slipped silently to the dune on the right of the enemy, grabbing his bow off of his back and drawing an arrow from his quiver. A slow draw of the string, and Link was ready to fire.

"NOW NAVI!" At his shout, the fairy did what she had been asked. She shone. A blue-white radiance illuminated the pit in-between dunes the goblin pack had been passing through. The vile creatures released screeches of pain as the light seared their eyes, blinding them. They're sight temporarily eliminated, Link sighted down his arrow, snapping his bow to the left to zero in on Navi's target.

"Now this is how to shoot someone with an arrow, you monsters." Link's growl was drowned out by the piercing _twang_ of the bowstring as he let the arrow fly. It flew true, and pierced the goblin's skull just above it's eyes. By this time, Navi had dimmed herself once more and it's fellows had regained some vision, gathering into what seemed to be a passable excuse for a defensive battle formation.

 _Someone is training the demons of Hyrule!_ The thought struck deep within Link, but he thrust it aside to maintain focus. _One down, five to go_.

He tracked Navi's flitting glow as he restrung another arrow. The instant she had decided on a target, she flared up once more, blinding the squad of goblins for the second time. Link took a breath, centered on his target, and released both his breath and arrow. Another instant kill, and Link ducked back down to circle around the pit.

The next two goblin's went down in the same way. When the young warrior popped his head back over the dune to slay the final demon, it was gone, along with Navi. Alarm shot through Link's veins, and he leapt into the pit without a moment's hesitation. Storing his bow upon his back, he reached down to grasp the hilt of the blade sheathed just above his rear.

"Navi?" Link's call rang through the air. Mere seconds later, the faint sound of Navi's distinct chime responded, growing rapidly softer. "Navi!"

Sand flew into the desert air as Link burst into motion, drawing his sword as he honed in on the tiny fairy's chiming cry for help. Clearing the nearest dune, the warrior caught a brief glimpse of the remaining goblin fleeing in over the next wave of sand, Navi held tight within its hands. Link's field of vision narrowed to a slit, rage flooding his system at the sight. A clarion battle call wrested itself from his lips as he sped after the retreating enemy.

The minutes that followed were filled charged with a crackling tension as Link gave pursuit. Each second drove a sliver of terror over Navi's safety further into his heart, spurring him to reduce the seemingly gaping distance between him and the fleeing figure. After what seemed like an eternity to the young man, but was in reality nothing of the sort, Link was upon the fleeing demon.

A quick thrust later, it was over.

The goblin flailed about, tossing Navi into the air as it struggled remove the blade lodged in it's chest. Link stood firm, holding steady until it ceased to move. With his right hand he gripped the goblin's shoulder, and with his blade hand he pulled his sword free. Once the blade itself slid out of the demon, all the rage dissipated, leaving him limp with exhaustion. As he wiped the pitch-like blood from the steel, he lifted his sapphire blue gaze to check on his fairy companion.

"Are you okay?" His voice quivered with anxious relief. "I thought.. You could have…" Tears filled his eyes, threatening to spill over onto Link's dust-stained cheeks.

Navi hastened to the young man's side, tinkling in a reassuring way. "I'm quite alright, Link. It was just a small scare. You saved me." Her voice was overflowing with pride and thanks. Link's hands reached up to cup her close to his heart, the intensity of the night having left him in need of comfort.

"Promise me that you'll always let me save you. Promise." The hushed whisper slipped between the Hyrulian's lips, a quiet admission of need.

"I promise. Because let's be honest, I definitely have a horrible track record for saving myself." Navi's chiming laugh soothed the spaces in Link's chest that ached with worry for the little ball of light. He chuckled to himself, and released the fairy as he picked up his sword from where he had dropped it to hold her in his hands. He flourishes the blade to rid it of sand, and sharply sheathes it in it's scabbard.

Taking quick stock of their surroundings, Link realizes that dawn has arrived. The sun has begun to creep lazily over the horizon, setting the sky ablaze with vivid pinks and oranges. With the dawn comes a breeze that carries the acrid smell of flame and smoke. The warrior spins around, and scans the distance for the source of the scent.

"Navi. We've got to move." With that, he takes off at a dead sprint towards the column of smoke rising from the cliffs barely visible through the heat haze.

"Here we go again." With a sigh, the small fairy zips off after Link, neither of them aware of the Gerudo scout that watches them from afar, and who dashes off in the direction of the smoke behind them.


End file.
